Bennett and arthur e



(No Model.)

C. BENNETT 81s A. E. PARKINSON.

HOUSE LETTER B0X.y No. 486,423. Patented Nov. 22,1892.

2x. 2% R. da ,Wv M mv QM 1 n 1 w f f zr'ja l/M .5f Smm www :Hm m, i y m E KN. m M n0 e .M m f. M m z J UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MISSOURI; SAID PARKINSON ASSIGNOR TO SAID BENNETT.

HOUSE LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 486,423, dated November 22, 1892.

Application filed February 15, 1892. Serial No. l$121,656. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom zit may concern:

Be it known that we, CAROLINE BENNETT and ARTHUR E. PARxINsoN, citizens of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in House Letter-Boxes; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The object of our invention is, first, to provide means for preventing the unauthorized abstraction of letters from the box; second, to prevent the moisture upon the bottom of each compartment of the box from extending to the letters.

Our invention further consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, which will irst be fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure lis a front elevation of the improved letter-box, showing the transverse openings for the insertion of the letters and the pendent guards. nal Vertical sectional view of the letter-box, looking towardthefrontandshowing the opening for the letters, the interlocking guard pins and posts, the separate compartments for the letters, and the inclined corrugated floor to each compartment. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the letter-box, taken upon the line ma of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a detail View in perspective showing a portion of the front ofthe box with the opening for the letters and the posts on the inner side of the front wall; also showing the bottom of one of the compartments above the horizontal line of the opening for the letters, showing the pins interlocking with the posts, and also the series of swinging pins graduated in length.

Similar letters ot' reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

In the construction of our improved letterboxwehave designed the same to contain three compartments d d' a2, one above another, and forthispurpose we make arectangular-shaped box A with a front wall or side A and a rear Fig. 2 is alongitudiwall or side A2 and a bottom A3. The front tance equal to the combined height ofthe two lower compartments o. ot and a short distance above the line of the floor of the upper compartment 0.2. The other side A2 extends a short distance in height above the horizontal plane of the side A.

A4 is the top of the box, one side ot which is attached to the upper end of the side A2 and the other side extended' in an outwardly and downwardly curved line and attached to the upper end of the front portion or side A.

A5 represents one end of the box, which exi tends from the front side A to the side A2 in the transverse direction ot the box and from the bottom A3 to the top A4. The other end of the box is provided with separate doors for each one ot' the compartments d ct', the compartment a being provided with a door A, upon which door is a lock B. The compartment ct is provided witha door A7, upon which door is a lock B', both of which doors are hinged to the back A2 and are locked with the front portion A of the box.

The end of the box above the door A7 is left open, for the purpose hereinafter described. i Each compartment d a2 above the com partment a is provided with a floor-partition C, which extends in a transverse direction from the front side A tothe rear side A2 and from the end A5 to the other end of the box. Between the compartments a a the bottom is inclined at an angle to the bottom A3 ot' the box in the direction of the door A7 and extended beneath said door and a short distance beyond the sides A A2. The bottom -C is corrugated, the lines of the corrugations extending in the direction ot the said door `A7. Between the compartments to d2 is placed a partition or floor C', which is also corrugated and inclined in the same direction and degree as that of the iioor C and forms the top to the lower compartment a. Extending `through the front side of the box, directlybe-A neath horizontal lineot the floor C, is a longitudinal opening D, which communicates with the compartment CL, the width of which opening is narrow, so as to admit an envelope of side A extends in an upward direction a di'sa considerable thickness and the drop cover orshield hereinafterdescribed. Beneath the horizontal line of the partition or oorC and through the front A is made a longitudinal opening D', which is similar to the opening D and communicates with the compartment 0.. In the compartment d, and pivotally attached at its upper end to the under side portion of the floor G a slight distance from the inner side portion of the front A, isaswinging pin E, the other end of which pin extends downwardly past and close in position to the opening D and a short distance below the lower edge of said opening. A multiple series of said pins is then attached to the under side of said floor C, parallel with the front side A and arranged at proper distances apart.

On the inner side of the wallA a short distance beneath the lower edge of the longitudinal opening D is cast or formed a post F, which extends horizontally a short distance from the said wall contiguous with and at one side of one of the swinging pins E, and its outer end is made witha sharp point. Similar pins extend from the inner wall and near each of the swinging pins E, which latter interlock with the posts F. Toward the inner wall of the rear side A2 ot' the box and attached to the under side of the bottom C are a series of swinging pins e e', which are similar to the pins E. One series care made slightly longer than the pins E, and the next series e2 are longer than the series e', the latter series being placed in aline parallel with the rear wall A2, thus graduating in length the pins rearwardly from the opening I).

In the compartment a and pivotally attached to the under side of the partition or floor C', in a like manner as in the compartment a, are similar graduated swinging pins, and also the posts, which areinterlocked with a contiguous series of swinging pins, which operate in a like manner.

Vithin the opening D, in the sideA of the box and near the upper edge of said opening, is inserted from the outside of the box the drop cover or shield G, which consists of a thin strip of nearly the same length ot' the the opening D and narrow in width. Upon each of the covers G, near its inner edge, is a pivot g, (see Fig. 2,) which pivots enter the edges of the sides of the opening D. The outer longitudinal edge of the cover Gextends downwardlya slight distance below the lower edge ofthe opening D. In the opening D is arranged a similar cover or shield G, both of which serve to exclude water from the openings D D. The covers may, however, be hinged to the outside of the box, if preferred. In the front A of the box are glass-covered openings l-I H, through which the mail deposited in the box may be seen.l The letters which are delivered by the postman are inserted by him through the opening D of the compartment a of the box, which for convenience is marked upon the outside as the one intended vfor the reception of the delivered mail-matter. As the letter enters the openingD it strikes the series of pins E, which are thrown backward in the direction of the side A2 of the box, and the letter falls upon the corrugated lioor C. In falling from the opening D the lower end of the pins meet the side of the letter which is presented upwardly and rides over the projecting pins on the under side of the opening D and falls upon the bottom C, the weight of the pins in the rear of the opening causing the letter to fall fiatwise upon the licor C.

By means of the series of swinging pins and posts we are enabled to prevent `the removal of the letters once placed in the box, the pins E acting to bar the opening D, so that upon an attempt being made to extract the letters unlawfully through the openingD the longer series of pins e e intercept the raising of the letters in a vertical position and consequent purloining of the letters through the said opening, the posts F, in conjunction with the series of swinging pins, preventing the proper angle to be given to the letter to permit of its withdrawal, and the points upon the posts engaging with the side of the letter retards its movement. Any water that may iind entrance to the box will be confined within the corrugatons ot the bottom of each compartment and will pass oit beneath the doors of each compartment. The pins E may be made as heavy as desired and extending in length as far as necessaryT to guard the letters at the bottom or floor of each compartment, and the box may be made in a different form and with but one compartment, as the requirements of the service may demand. "We may also use a sliding box and dispense with the doors of the box without changing the principal objects of our invention.

Having fully described our invention, what we now claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a house letter-box having vertical sides and a iixed top and a longitudinal opening through one of said sides near said top for the reception of the letters, the combination of vibrating pins within said box, attached at their upper ends to the under side of the top of said box and having their lower ends extending downwardly in juxtaposition to and past thelower edge of said opening, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a house letter-box having vertical sides and a fixed top and a longitudinal opening through one of said sides near said top for the reception of the letters, the combination of vibrating pins attached at their upper ends to the under side of the top of said box and arranged in multiple series and having the lower ends of one of said series of pins IOO IIO

extending downwardly in juxtaposition to terlocking with said posts, substantially as and for the purpose described.

CAROLNE BENNETT. ARTHUR E. PARKINSON.

NVitnesses to the signature of Caroline Bennett:

PATTI MOORE, S. L. C. HAssoN. Witnesses to the signature of Arthur E. Parkinson:

S. L. C. HAssoN,

HUGH J. MoGoWAN. 

